The Voice of the Martyrs' blog, sharing powerful stories and timely information that invites and inspires American Christians into fellowship with their persecuted family around the world.

Posts from October 2010

October 29, 2010

I have a good idea how the pastor of the Methodist church in Birkenshaw, England, feels today after finding that someone broke into their church for the purpose of hateful vandalism.

That's right, England, not a Middle East or Asian country where Christians are a minority. Though I suppose there are some stats that might give credence to the notion that Christians are fast becoming a minority in much of the Western world as well.

Church-goers have been left shocked after thugs burned Bibles and tore a crucifix from a wall in an orgy of vandalism.

The desecration was discovered when an art group which was meeting in Birkenshaw Methodist Church Hall opened the premises for their session.

As well as scorching Bibles, the vandals slashed hymn books in the wrecking spree. A large crucifix on the interior wall of the church had also been dragged to the floor.

The piano, speakers, and other items were also damaged.

It will be costly to fix and replace the vandalized items but I am hoping that the church reaction will be one of praise to God in the face of this hatred. I hope too that they will earnestly go to battle with the spiritual encampments of Satan in their area and pray that these vandals would return to the church, not as vandals, but as fellow brothers or sisters, forgiven and set free through the blood of the Lamb.

There is one thing that is certain, the persecution that Christians undergo across the globe does not go un-noticed. It is even harder to keep it quiet in today's would because of the technology at our finger tips. Spreading the news of persecution has long been a driving force at Voice of the Martyrs for years.

BEIJING -- The wife of Yu Jie, the Christian dissident writer, caught a cold and developed a high fever on the night of October 27. Since Yu’s family is currently under house arrest, she was stopped by the Domestic Security Protection Squad when she attempted to leave to check into a hospital for treatment.

In desperation, Yu Jie sent out a Tweet requesting for help.

Can you imagine having to send out a request from help and prayer because the "Domestic Security Protection Squad" is keeping you and your family from leaving your house? The police in this instance went as far blockading Yu Jie's door with a table so that they could not open it.

Let us join in prayer with others for these beloved brothers and sisters. Pray too, that the hearts of the "Protection Squad" would become softened so that they would actually seek to help instead of harm.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to Rowlett Mayor John Harper on Aug. 27 requesting that that the council disallow invocations during city council meetings.

One of the opening prayers given before a council meeting specifically mentioned the name of Jesus Christ.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation continues to be an organisation that seeks to remove the mention of Christ from public discourse and once that happens, as I can see in other government states around the globe, physical persecution is not far behind. But this is not something to fear because we have been told by Christ to expect the world to hate us for being His followers. Christians in foreign lands who undergo physical persecution understand this fact and know that it is in part a sharing in the sufferings of Christ.

House churches are a popular way to worship the Lord Jesus in America. They are also a popular way for believers to worship in China as well, but for completely different reasons.

Here in the USA we have not yet suffered unto the shedding of blood because we name the name of Jesus and gather weekly with fellow believers so that we can worship the Living God and study and learn about Him.

It's a different story in many areas of communist China. The house church movement there started out of a need for secrecy and safety from a government bent upon removing Christ from their society. And indeed, I am reminded that they still need secrecy and safety today as attested to by the report from our friends at China Aid on Pastor Zhan Gang of Jiaozhou Church in Shandong.

SHANDONG -- On October 26, 2010, as Pastor Zhan Gang of Jiaozhou Church in Shandong arrived at the church with [sic] along with some members for a usual morning study. Suddenly, they were attacked and beaten by thugs hired by the local Three-Self Patrotic Movement (TSPM) church. The attackers were suspected of being plain-clothed agents. Pastor Zhan is also the general secretary of Chinese House Church Alliance.

The TSPM is the state sanctioned and constructed church in China and has at its heart the desire of the state to make its followers "good" communists.

China Aid reports that Pastor Zhan and the brothers and sisters he shepherds have been banned from the building and its facilities now.

This is a follow up on a posting that Stacy shared with us in the middle of the month.

By way of reminder, here is the first paragraph of that report:

Christians in Iran are reporting that Pastor Youcef Nardarkhani has been sentenced to death for what is called a “thought crime.” VOM contacts confirm that the pastor’s trial was held in recent weeks in the 11th Chamber of The Assize Court of the province of Gilan, but a formal verdict has not yet been delivered by the court.

Today, our good friends at the Assist News Service have more information on the plight of our brother Youcef Nardarkhani. The latest info is that there has been a delay in the carrying out of his sentence of death for "thought crime."

DeMars [Jason DeMars of www.presenttruthmn.com] says Nadarkhani is currently under a sentence of death, but authorities are delaying the delivery of the verdict in order to put more pressure on him to turn away from Christ.

"Once the written verdict is delivered, there will be 20 days to appeal to the Supreme Court," DeMars said.

Currently, Nadarkhani's attorney is being denied any access to him, DeMars told ANS.

"However, security officials have informed the courts to temporarily delay his execution until further notice. Youcef is being kept in a security prison in Lakan, Iran, which is just south of Rasht, his hometown," said DeMars.

The authorities may intend this delay to occur because they want Pastor Youcef to deny Christ but I thank. Jesus, for delay and pray that in it Christ would be glorified.

Iran is center stage on many news shows today with their plans and stance on the world stage. Let us join in prayer for our brother and his family and pray that the Holy Spirit would bring peace and strength to them. Pray too for Pastor Youcef's jailers, that they would see Christ in our brother and hunger for the freedom and liberty found only in the blood of Christ shed for them so that they could become sons of the Most High God.

With Burma’s first election in over 20 years just two weeks away, Christians in ethnic minority states fear that afterward the military regime will try to “cleanse” the areas of Christianity, sources said.

The Burmese junta is showing restraint to woo voters in favor of its proxy party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), but it is expected to launch a military offensive on insurgents in ethnic minority states after the Nov. 7 election, Burma watchers warned.

Click over to read the full story.

We must remember to hold up in prayer to the Lord, our sisters and brothers in Christ who are faced with persecution in the country of Burma.

But we must also remember to pray for those who are persecuting them. Pray that they would repent and be redeemed in Christ Jesus.

This is a great, inexpensive means to share with your church body about the things the persecuted Church faces.

For only $9, you can order VOM's new Church Resource kit, which includes a dramatic new video presentation and resources for your entire church or Sunday school class. If you order today, the kit could possibly arrive in time for the 2010 International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, on Nov. 14. However, this is a great resource to use any time to share the voice of the persecuted.

October 26, 2010

Our good friends at China Aid are reporting on an event that I find deplorable, and must admit that I don't know how I would have handled the situation had it been me. But it reminds me that we can't necessarily prepare for such events but in fact our Lord supplies the need when they arise.

Two women were at home when city officials and a mob of other people broke into their apartment and accosted them because they were accused of being an unregistered religious group.

The group lectured the two women and told them they were conducting an “illegal gathering” and threatened to arrest them. In fact, there was no gathering -- Shao and Song were the only two people there. One person out of the group of 50, named Song, told the women that they must not live in that apartment any longer, and return to their original provinces; Shao Yajun is from Hunan, and Song Tingting is from Jiangsu.

Not only did the women have to put up with these people breaking into their apartment, but, without a warrant, the officials searched through all their stuff, video taping and photographing personal items and letters.

Can you imagine having the government come to your church offices and evict them so that the property could be used by someone else? Should we be surprised that such a thing occurs in a country where naming the name of Christ Jesus puts one at risk? No, indeed we know and are told by Jesus to expect such things and we should count the cost.

Christians in Sudan’s capital city told Compass that police entered the compound of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC) on Oct. 4 at around 2 p.m. and ordered workers to leave, claiming that the land belonged to Muslim businessman Osman al Tayeb. When asked to show evidence of Al Tayeb’s ownership, however, officers failed to produce any documentation, the sources said.

I am very thankful for the faith of our brothers and sisters in Christ in Sudan. We all know the hardships that have come upon them in areas of the country where Islam is dominant.

Compass Direct goes on to tell us that the scheme to take the property from this church has been used before against Christians by Muslims in northern Sudan.